A study explored the relationship between social/cultural control and the way knowledge is structured and presented in schools. "Critical literacy" was defined as the perception of meaning within the total context of the relevant experiences of the reader. The "dilemmas of schooling" language developed by A. Berlak and H. Berlak was used to…

Adolescents are extremely interested in their cultural sex roles, relationships, changing bodies, changing relationships with parents and with members of the opposite sex, value patterns, and careers. Their reading interests are closely related to their emotional interests. Teachers need to be aware of the complexities of adolescent life and…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 26 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) a structured and an unstructured approach to kindergarten instruction and their effects on reading readiness for the first grade; (2) effects of exposure to…

One of a series of publications on selected aspects of reading curriculum development, this monograph contains eight papers that deal with expectations in the teaching of reading. Topics covered include (1) the relationship between reading and writing, (2) changing expectations in education, (3) skills programs for remedial readers, (4) ways to…

There are a number of ways in which parents can serve as role models in helping children to value reading, including parent-child sharing of culture through family rituals, reading aloud to children or having the children read aloud, tutoring at home and in the schools, using home learning kits for skill development and to provide a carry-over of…

The second British Columbia (B.C.) Reading Assessment was conducted in the spring of 1980 to evaluate the reading skills of students in grades 4, 8, and 12. The four areas of reading achievement measured were word attack, word meaning, passage comprehension, and applied reading/study skills. A panel of evaluators included educators and…

Describes how a remedial reading teacher, over the course of three years, helped a nine-year-old nonreader progress toward becoming a reader. Points out the importance of increasing the student's confidence, gaining his trust, and providing remedial instruction which is closely connected with other areas of the student's life. (ARH)

Proposes that secondary school literature teachers specify goals for students and teach students to ask themselves a series of broadly applicable questions to focus on literary content. (NKA)

Suggests that children need instruction in reading to produce readers who are capable of seeing deeper layers of meaning in a text and "shifting gears" to see stories in a new way in order to appreciate their complexity. (JC)

Reveals the phases through which an apathetic eighth-grade class of poor readers went on their way to becoming active learners. The phases included: (1) discussing attitudes and goals; (2) positive environment; (3) sharing literature through oral reading; (4) reading for an audience; and (5) active learning. (SKC)

Offers strategies for increasing learning motivation in elementary school students that are borrowed from marketing techniques used by grocery stores including tie-ins, holiday or theme specials, shelving rules, and personalized attention. (SRT)

A study investigated the relationship between reading habits and writing skills in French of 223 Canadian secondary school students. Students were surveyed concerning their demographic characteristics, attitudes about learning and reading, recreational activities, and reading habits and reading materials. Writing skills were evaluated using a…

This paper addresses the analysis of surveys administered to prekindergarten through eighth grade students and the analysis of parent and teacher interviews in an effort to determine why children read, what they prefer to read, and how adults can further motivate them to read. The premise of the paper is that attitudes (feelings toward an…

This book provides tools that black parents can use to make their children lifelong lovers of reading and writing. It is geared specifically to black children from the perspective of an educator and parent. The book stresses the need for early involvement in the learning process, challenging the traditional notion that issues surrounding child…

This report describes a plan for motivating students to read in order to allow them to enjoy and appreciate literature and to provide the practice necessary to become effective readers. The targeted population consisted of first and fourth grade students in a middle class community, located in the Middle West. The problems of minimal time engaged…